Did Amanda Knox slander police?

Second trial set to start Tuesday

Published 10:00 pm, Saturday, May 29, 2010

Defendant Amanda Knox (center) is escorted away from court at the end of the final day of the Meredith Kercher murder trial on Dec. 4, 2009 in Perugia, Italy.

Defendant Amanda Knox (center) is escorted away from court at the end of the final day of the Meredith Kercher murder trial on Dec. 4, 2009 in Perugia, Italy.

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Did Amanda Knox slander police?

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PERUGIA, Italy -- Amanda Knox, already convicted of murdering her British roommate in Italy, now is about to face another trial -- this time for slander.

The new trial, set to start Tuesday, could add another six years to Knox's prison sentence if she is found guilty. She currently is serving a 26-year sentence for the November 2007 murder of Meredith Kercher.

The slander charges follow an investigation into Knox's claims that she was beaten by Perugia police during questioning about the killing.

During the murder trial, Knox testified twice that police had beaten her during questioning as part of an effort to get her name Kercher's killer. She also said police called her a "stupid liar" and threatened her with prison.

"They called me a stupid liar; said I was trying to protect someone. I was not trying to protect anyone," she said during the trial. "I didn't know what to respond. They said I left Raffaele (Sollecito)'s home, which I denied, but they continued to call me 'stupid liar.'"

Sollecito, Knox's ex-boyfriend, also was convicted of murder and has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Knox has said she was unable to identify the officers who hit her.

The prosecutor in the case, Giuliano Mignini, said there was no proof of assault and Knox would now be charged with slander in order to protect the good name of the police department.

Mignini was quoted in British media reports as saying, "There was no proof to back up her allegation and to protect the good name of the police department a slander investigation was started and this has now been complete."

Knox's parents, Curt Knox and Edda Mellas, have also been charged with slander for repeating their daughter's claim that police officers had beaten her during questioning.

The trial of Amanda Knox's parents is set for July 6.

Meanwhile, Mignini also has filed an appeal of Knox's 26-year murder sentence, asking that the punishment be increased to life in prison.

And Knox's lawyers have filed their own 220-page appeal. They want her murder sentence reduced or eliminated, claiming that the prosecution completely botched the case and that there is no proof she was at the scene of the crime.